Iannuzzi is the author of several books: The Mafia Cookbook,[2] Cooking on the Lam,[3] and his autobiography Joe Dogs: The Life and Crimes of a Mobster.
[citation needed] Iannuzzi is the first cousin of restaurateur Oswaldo ("Ozzie") Carpanzano who owned "Alfredo's", a fine Italian Restaurant located in Boynton Beach, Florida.
In 1945, Iannuzzi's parents divorced, and his mother Molly soon remarried to a man of Irish descent named Edward Muller.
This was short-lived, however, as Iannuzzi was reduced in rank to Private because he was caught forging his name on a boxing license in Columbus, Georgia.
His present employer, who was originally from Harrison, New York, gave Joe Jr. the position of Shop Steward union representative.
Unfortunately, his legitimate employment did not last long as Iannuzzi became friends with Nicholas "Jiggs" Forlano, a "retired" Colombo family capo (or "captain").
Agro's West Palm Beach, Florida crew along with another Gambino associate, Robert "Skinny Bobby" De Simone.
After nearly being beaten to death with a baseball bat and a tire iron by Thomas Agro and two of his crew under orders from Joe N. Gallo, Iannuzzi became an informant for the FBI.
The FBI then launched "Operation Home Run" and started a gambling night club in Riviera Beach, Florida.
[7][8][9] Finally, due to an alleged "leak" of information from the investigation, the FBI shut down "Operation Home Run" for the safety of Iannuzzi.
According to editor Michael Korda, "Joe had honed his skills while cooking for the marshals who guarded him and the FBI agents who came to question him about his former associates."
Korda went on to point out the irony "that a mob hanger-on, not even a "made man," better known as a cook than a criminal, had brought low such major organized crime figures as Tony Salerno, Carmine Persico, John Gotti, and Vincent Gigante..."[1] Iannuzzi described his cookbook as the "favorite staples of his former dining companions"[12][13] and includes recipes for shrimp scampi, veal marsala and steak florentine.